But the love is real
by nonoza
Summary: AU/College. Derek is moved to accept money to "distract" Reid by his family's plight. Of course he's going to fall for his mark but how do relationships founded on duplicity work out? This story is dedicated to SWEETTEETWO
1. Chapter 1

Derek wasn't particularly proud of what he was going to do but his family needed the money. It made him feel even more ashamed because it made his college experience that much easier. He was a senior year athlete and not only the star but also the captain of the college football team. He stood at the door of his first dorm room in years dressed in dark jeans that managed to hug his muscles without being tight and a white vest that clung to every contour of his upper body. If you stood close enough you could see a thin sliver of chocolate skin. So he was laying it on thick. Subtlety was not a useful tool when dealing with the shy and repressed.

The ripped man tried to open the door but found it locked. He fished his key out of his pocket and opened it. Spencer looked up and stopped breathing. He had never seen such a... man in his entire life. He was clean shaven and bald and his body made the young genius swallow audibly.

"Where can we put these?" James asked Derek.

"In that general area," Derek pointed to his side of the room. Spencer had already taken up camp on the other side. He watched as a group of young men brought in suitcases and trophies and proceeded to pack away clothes and put up posters. He was developing an instant dislike for this sculptured man.

"Derek Morgan," he crossed the room and extended his hand.

"Spencer Reid," the younger man answered, turning a page in his book (and his concentration).

"Can I get some warmth with that?" Morgan kept his hand extended. Reid took Morgan's hand and shook it. He was never one for outright hostility. Reid's eyes widened as Morgan swiped a thumb across the back of his hand. "It's nice to meet you Spencer Reid," Derek smiled.

"It's uh nice to meet you too," Spencer pulled his hand back like Morgan had burned him. Hell he looked down to check if that wasn't in fact what had happened. Nope, the heat he felt had no physical cause other than the touch of Derek Morgan.

"I hear you're the resident genius," Morgan sat on Reid's bed.

"That explains a lot," Reid mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Derek leaned closer.

"Nothing," Spencer said in a quiet tone. He saw now why Derek Morgan would leave the fraternity where he was worshipped to live in a dorm room. He'd heard of a lonely kid who could do his work for him.

"Not much of a conversationalist, are you?" Derek mumbled after a stretch of silence.

"What do you want us to do with this?" James held up some bound papers.

"What is it?" Derek squinted at the document.

"It's our roommate agreement," Spencer answered.

"What?" Derek asked with a surprised chuckle.

"Laying down the ground rules for living together now limits future misunderstandings," Reid explained the logic.

"Read that," Derek instructed James. After thirty seconds of boring legal terminology Derek instructed James to skip to the good part.

"No roommate may have an overnight guest without notifying the other roommate of such intentions at least six hours prior to allow for accomodation arrangements to be made," was the last sentence James read before Morgan stopped him.

"That is insane," he said plainly.

"It's perfectly reasonable," Reid argued, "If we stick to it we won't have any of the problems other residents have with their roommates."

"And if we don't?" Morgan asked, visibly more curios than antagonistic.

"Section C lays out the punishment levels one to four for a breach of the rules corresponding with each level," Spencer looked to James.

"What's the punishment for a level one breach?" Morgan wanted to know the worst thing he would be signing up for.

"The transgressor would have to move out of the room within thirty one days," James read.

"If I sign that you'll have the power to kick me to the curb," Morgan widened his eyes.

"That works both ways," Reid pointed out. Morgan knew deep down he would regret this but waved James over and signed the papers anyway. He thanked the boys for sorting out his room and sent them on their way.

"Tell me Dr Reid," Morgan sat on Spencer's chair, pressing his chest against the back of it causing his legs to open wider and his crotch to be centred in the open gap below the support, "How else are you planning on restraining me?"

Spencer's heart fell to his stomach and his cheeks turned pink as he pictured the scenario: cuffing the strong man to his bed. His eyes fell to the bulge between Derek's legs and his face heated up even more when he pictured the other man's cock. Morgan made a show of putting his hand on his crotch, mortifying Reid like he'd never been before. "I'm sorry, I, uh," the young doctor let his hair fall to hide his face, "I'm going down to the physics lab," he jumped off the bed and headed for the door without looking at Morgan again, "I work on the mathematical aspects of Dr Gideon's projects," Spencer explained. Why? Because he couldn't shut his mouth when his pulse was two hundred beats per minute.

Derek watched the younger man leave the room hastily with a smile on his face. It was just so cute. Spencer didn't go to Dr Gideon. In his hurry he'd left his satchel and any notes he had for the man. And there was just no way he was going back in there while his roommate was still awake. Derek knew his roommate would be gone for a good long while so he started going through his things, mostly a mountain of books. He looked for the most worn and made mental notes to read them. There was a picture of Spencer and his mom. The young doctor looked no more than ten in it. Derek estimated ten years without updating a family photo, interesting. His wardrobe didn't have a single primary colour. There was a box of magazines behind the shoes (which were either sneakers or some type of durable leather shoe). Knowing there was no reason to hide The Annals of Medicine in a box in the closet Derek dug deeper. At the bottom of the pile he found skin mags, male skin mags.

"Guess I know who you like to play doctor with," he smiled, "Your right hand."

Reid's posters were of supernovas and universal ratios and all the other stuff you don't expect to see hanging on a dorm room wall. There was a bottle of lube in his bedside cabinet and a sealed box of condoms that contained three rubbers. Reid also had every colour pen under the sun, a box of yellow pencils but no erasers other than those that came attached. There was a pile of detailed notebooks on the broadest category of subjects Derek had ever seen anyone have specialised knowledge in. "Fuckin' A," he replaced them. Spencer's bedding was navy and beige, just a couple of shades from the black and white of old prison uniforms. Derek stripped down to his tight black underwear and lay on his side in bed with Reid's copy of The Illustrated Man.

Spencer spent the day at the library reading about tax law. He needed something to slow his heartbeat to a crawl. At ten he thought it would be safe to go back to his room. Morgan would probably be out with his friends by then. That was a miscalculation on his part. He walked into the room to find Morgan on his back in close fitting underwear. His face was buried in a book and Reid took the opportunity to look at his exposed body. He didn't know which part to concentrate on: his legs with their taught muscles or the tight rippling abdomen, the pectoral muscles Adonis would envy or big strong arms. The substantial bulge between his legs arrested the young man's attention. Heat pooled in Spencer's abdomen. A gust of wind slammed the door shut, pulling Derek's attention from the book and returning Spencer to his previous state of mortification.

"I'm so sorry," Spencer felt like such a dick, "I don't usually do this. In fact I never do this."

"It's okay," Morgan said casually, "I'm on the football team so I get it. Guys get curios about other guys' junk," he pretended not to know why Reid was looking, "I'll show you mine and you'll show me yours. Get the testosterone out of the way."

Reid was embarrassed that he actually considered that. His conscience reminded him that he didn't want to see Morgan's penis to compare and then he wanted to kick himself for considering taking advantage of the other man's ignorance. When he looked up to lie about why he couldn't participate in such an exercise his jaw fell to the ground. Derek was kneeling on his bed with his briefs mid-thigh. His cock was soft and resting against his balls but it was still a solid five inches.

"Fuck," Spencer felt himself harden. The curse falling from the doctor's lips caused blood to rush to Morgan's dick. He pulled his boxers up and covered what was happening. "I don't feel comfortable with this," Reid fiddled with his belt buckle.

"I'd be a little worried if you did," Derek smiled. Spencer took a breath and undid his belt. He'd never done this with the other boys. He took another breath as he pulled his zip down.

"I can't do this," he put his hand on his crotch like it was already exposed.

"Verbal agreements are binding you know," Derek smirked. He enjoyed seeing Reid flustered.

"I didn't agree! You didn't give me a chance to respond," Reid protested.

"When you didn't avert your eyes from my exposed cock agreement was implied," Morgan said coolly. Spencer couldn't argue with that one. Heat flooded his face as he thought of Derek seeing him as he stared openly at his shaft. Spencer closed his eyes. He pulled down the front of his underwear, exposing himself. Morgan looked at the plump, pale member. "That is a pretty one," he commented. Reid's penis had the perfect colouring, the girth was even all over and it looked like he'd never had foreskin. It was around four inches and growing before Derek's very eyes. As soon as he'd heard Derek's words Reid quickly tucked himself back into his pants, where his erection continued to grow and embarrass him as it pressed against his slacks. Derek's erection was well on its way to being obvious even to the distracted Dr Reid. They were both breathing heavily.

"Are you into guys?" Morgan asked.

"Yes," the answer left Reid's mouth without his permission. Derek stepped off the bed and put his hands on Spencer's narrow hips. Reid looked up at him with wide eyes and flushed cheeks, such innocence. One of Derek's hands circled Spencer's neck, the other palmed his dick through his underwear causing Spencer to let go of his pants. As Spencer's slacks pooled around his ankles Derek reached into the pale man's underwear. Reid grabbed his hand before it could make contact.

"Kiss me," he looked at Derek with those eyes again, "I want you to kiss me first."

Morgan pulled his fingers from Reid's underwear and put that hand around his back. He pulled the slight frame to him and kissed the pink lips softly. Reid's kiss was warm and shy. How had Morgan not known he liked pretty young shy things till now? He deepened the kiss, pressing into Reid with measured force. Spencer was delicate. Morgan's hand slid to cup Reid's ass. The young man moaned into his mouth when he squeezed causing Morgan to grind his hard member into Reid's. Slowly, giving Spencer time to stop it should he want to, Morgan's hand made its way into Reid's underwear again.

Spencer's head fell back when Morgan gripped his cock. He stroked and twisted with a firm hand.

"Oh God," Spencer cried out the name of a deity he didn't believe in as Morgan sucked on his pulse. He wrapped his hands around Morgan's neck but they became limp as he was lost in the sensations caused by Derek's skilled hand. Reid's every nerve was a live wire, his heartbeat was hammering in his ears, there was a fire in his belly, indescribable pleasure from the friction on his dick and a heavy tightness in his balls. Derek rotated his hand so he could touch Spencer's balls then work his way up his shaft.

"Derek," Reid mewled as his dick jumped erratically. Morgan pumped harder and faster, squeezing the head. Reid made a garbled sound as he shot hot, ropey white strings onto Derek's stomach. His head dropped forward and he moaned into the dark, broad shoulder almost like he was in pain. "What did I just do?" Reid asked himself out loud when his head stopped swimming.

"Thank you, my self esteem needed that," Morgan threw Reid a look out of the corner of his eye as he pulled a towel from his closet and wiped his stomach.

"I'm sorry but I hardly know you," Spencer dressed in a hurry, making his way to his side of the room, "It wasn't supposed to happen like this," he pulled his go-bag out of the closet.

"You can't plan every detail of your life," Morgan went to stand in front of the door.

"I only ever meant to plan the important ones," Spencer sighed.

"You like doing things in the right order," Derek surmised, "I never meant to disrespect that. Guess I should have known you were a by the book kind of guy," he scratched his bald head.

"It's not that," Spencer threw his hands up in frustration, "No one's ever... touched me... intimately before," Reid fiddled with his shirt buttons, his voice managing to sound both embarrassed and sad.

"Oh man," the towel fell out of Derek's hand, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise, you didn't know," Spencer shook his head, "I'm gonna spend the night with a friend, get some perspective."

Morgan just nodded and got out of the way. He wanted to say something but what could he possibly say right now? He watched Reid leave then sat on the floor with his head in his hands. He thought he was going to distract a college kid and lets face it most of them are just looking for an excuse but this Spencer Reid was something else. Derek was no longer sure about what he was going to do because now he knew that whatever he chose would hurt good people who didn't deserve it. How had his easy payday turned into blood money in less than half a day?


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for the wonderful response. I would be a lot happier if the reviews reflected it. Don't worry, I won't hold this story hostage for them.**

Spencer ended up in Gideon's lab. Surprise, surprise, Gideon was there. "I thought the purpose of your moving into a dormitory was for you to have some kind of college experience," the professor said as the young man put on his protective gear.

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea anymore," Spencer shrugged.

"What happened?" Gideon stopped his work and put his safety goggles on the table.

"What are you doing with a blowtorch?" Reid pulled his goggles off.

"An artist slipped a mickey into my powershake and told me this was a healthy way to relieve stress," the professor looked at the atrocity he'd created.

"Female artist?" Spencer asked.

"Female lesbian artist," Gideon stopped the young man's train of thought.

"That speaks to her sexuality, not yours," Spencer pointed out, "Breasts are breasts, homosexual or otherwise."

"Why are you here?" Gideon gave the young man one of his strange smiles.

"I just needed to get out of my room," Reid said as casually as he could, which wasn't very, and he blushed furiously. Gideon just looked at Spencer. He knew the young man was a rambler. Enough silence and he would spill it all. "Something happened... with my roommate," Reid looked around the room and said nothing more. His face just kept on heating up.

"I heard you're sharing with one of the jocks," Gideon folded his arms. Spencer always had problems with jocks. "I could ask the RA to keep an eye on him," Gidoen offered.

"It's not anything like that," Spencer kept his eyes trained on the wall.

"Does he have his friends over?" the older man was going through the list things Spencer hated about sharing living space with anyone.

"He kissed me," Spencer looked down at his hands, "And some other stuff."

"I'm gonna do something about that," Gideon got up, "In the meantime you're going to stay with me."

"I wanted him to," Spencer said without looking up.

"Oh," Gideon sat back down, "Well..." the professor was puzzled, "Is he being a jerk?"

"No," Reid put his hand on his forehead, "I think I might have been the jerk," he rethought his reaction, "I didn't know what to do afterwards so I just left," he fell into a chair.

"Given your romantic history, or lack thereof, that's not surprising," Gideon went to their little coffee station and poured Reid some milk.

"I would never talk to me again if I were him," Reid looked up for the first time since he'd told Gideon. The professor saw the worried look on his face.

"You like him?" he set the glass down in front of the young man.

"No I don't," Reid sprang out of his chair, "He's a jock who has freshmen carry his things around and fold his clothes and shine his obnoxiously displayed trophies. He's all the things I don't like about college."

"Then why did you want him to kiss you?" Gideon asked, holding his laughter at bay. He'd been through this phase, granted he'd been thirteen at the time but Spencer was special.

"Because he has tight abs and big arms and..." Reid pulled his collar from his neck, "It's basic instinct to be attracted to the... best specimen."

Gideon had no choice but to laugh.

"Do not laugh at me. I am losing my mind," Reid put his hand on either side of his head.

"You have a crush on your roommate," Gideon shrugged.

"How is that a contradiction?" Spencer's voice shot up three octaves. Gideon laughed silently as he picked up the lab phone and dialled. "How can I possibly like the one person who has all the qualities I dislike?" Reid was talking to himself.

"Hotch," Gideon smiled into the phone, "Our little boy is all grown up."

"Who's the lucky girl?" Prof Hotchner asked. Reid had been pretty asexual all the time they'd known him.

"_His_ name is Derek Morgan," Gideon answered. Spencer was in another world.

"The captain of the football team?" Hotch was taken by surprise.

"That's the one," Gideon still had surprise in his voice.

"What are you doing?" Spencer lunged for the phone.

"Sharing the good news," Gideon moved the phone out of his reach.

"You told someone?" Spencer wanted to hide even though the person who'd been told was not in the room.

"It's just Hotch," Gideon patted the young man's shoulder.

"We should invite him to your party next week," Hotch walked through the adjoining door.

"Do you people never go home?" Reid said as the dark haired professor walked into the lab. Interning for professors with adjoining labs had seemed like a good idea when he was doing it.

"Haley said if I missed dinner again I could sleep in my lab," Hotch answered, "Now what's this I hear about you and the football star?"

"He's never going to talk to me again so it doesn't matter," Spencer sat down again. Hotch looked to Gideon for what he was missing.

"They did 'some stuff' then Reid freaked out and bailed," Gideon summarised the information he'd been given.

_Stuff? _Hotch mouthed. Gideon raised his shoulders. "There's this wonderful invention called the apology that has helped me out of many a sticky situation," Hotch went to sit next to the young genius.

"Says the man who'll be spending a night with rocks and bones because he missed dinner," Spencer mumbled at the archaeologist before taking a swig of his milk. Hotch and Gideon were taken aback by Spencer's less than friendly sarcasm. "I'm sorry Hotch," Reid immediately felt remorse.

"It's okay," the professor smiled a little sadly, "Now go try that with your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend," Spencer blushed deep red.

"Whatever you say," Hotch raised his hands in surrender.

"Explanations help," Gideon said as the young man headed for the door. Spencer stopped at the door.

"Maybe I should do this tomorrow," he turned around.

"The longer you wait the harder it will be," Hotch told him.

"What if he doesn't wanna talk to me?" Spencer asked his shoes.

"Just try," Gideon told the young man. He knew if he gave specific advice Spencer would pick it apart and would spend the rest of the night in the lab.

"Okay," Reid took his overnight bag and left.

"He's still in his lab coat," Hotch said to Gideon after Spencer left.

"It makes him look a little less like a fourteen year old boy," Gideon picked up his blowtorch.

"For all emotional purposes he is a fourteen year old boy," Hotch looked down at the glass of milk the young doctor had left,"I take it we're holding thumbs," he picked up the goggles that had been pushed towards him.

"Of course we are," Gideon said as they put on their protective eyewear, "And we're calling that tech girl with the blindingly colourful office."

"Spying is bad," Hotch said in the voice of a third grader who knew a friend was sinning but had no intention of turning him in.

"It's Spencer," Gideon replied.

"Yeah," his friend nodded.

Reid spent an hour at the library writing and rewriting his apology and explanation. Then he walked aimlessly around campus trying to improve what he was sure would be a clumsy delivery at best. By the time he got to his room, after midnight, the lights were out and Derek was fast asleep. Reid changed into his pyjamas by the light of his desk lamp. Something on his bed caught the light. He picked it up and brought it into the light. It was a white rose. He adjusted his lamp and saw a small envelope on his pillow. Spencer looked over at Derek and smiled. After smelling the rose he put a coat on over his pyjamas and went back to the lab with both his treasures. He was out of breath when he got there.

"What happened?" Gideon hastily set his torch down.

"He," Reid panted, "He left this on my pillow," he held up the letter and pressed the flower to his pounding heart.

"What does it say?" Gideon asked with a lazy smile.

"I was hoping you'd tell me," Spencer set the envelope on the table. Hotch looked at the envelope then at Gideon.

"There may be things in there that neither of us want me knowing about you," Gideon pushed the envelope back to Spencer.

"But I can't read it," he stepped away from the document like it might bite him.

"What are you? A twelve year old girl?" Hotch blurted. Gideon kicked him under the table. Hotch always thought Gideon coddled Spencer a little. He took the envelope and pulled out a white card with intricate patterns in shades of gold that looked almost embroidered. "Because it should have been special," he read.

Spencer grabbed the card out of Hotch's hand and read it seventy three times, which was easier now that he knew what it said. He held it to the chest with the rose and smiled, feeling strangely giddy. Reid was trying not to smile so widely but he couldn't help it. Every time he tried not to smile a chuckle forced its way out of his throat. "Is there anything I can help either of you with?" Spencer asked enthusiastically, "I don't think I can sleep."

"There are notes that I don't have electronic versions of yet but after that you have to go home," Gideon pointed to a small stack of papers.

"Great," Reid all but skipped to the paper pile. He read through all of them and made a few notes in the margins. After scanning all the pages he took a pad and started scribbling furiously.

"Reid, go home," Gideon said firmly.

"Remember that paper you couldn't publish because we couldn't get the math to work with the physics?" Reid asked excitedly, "Well I've had an epiphany and I can have it fixed in an hour or so," he smiled brightly.

"Okay," Gideon nodded, "Seventy five minutes then I send you home."

"Deal," Spencer went back to his furious scribbling.

"Only Reid would channel his excitement into math and physics," Hotch smiled and shook his head at the same time. He watched Gideon and Reid work, not wanting to go back to his lab and think about just how furious Haley might be at him. Exactly seventy five minutes later all three were leaving the lab. Gideon was feeling a lot more relaxed, suspecting it had more to do with Spencer's achievement than his attempt at creating art. Hotch felt dread creeping up on him as he went back to his lab.

"Are you really going to sleep in there?" Gideon asked.

"I'm in the dog house for missing dinner. She might kick me out if I add to our credit card bill with a night in a hotel," he answered.

"I have a guest room," Gideon offered.

"Thank you," Hotch put his access card back in his pocket, "I was about to flip a coin to decided between my chair and the floor."

"I'm gonna give this one a ride home," Gideon tipped his head in Spencer's direction, "Make sure he doesn't fall into any ditches while he has his head in the clouds."

"Good idea," Hotch nodded, "I'll just wait in my car. His smile is giving me an ulcer."

Reid just laughed and got into Gideon's car. He whistled annoyingly all the way home. For a second before discovering the rose and the card Spencer thought what was to him a big deal may have been nothing to Derek. It was college after all. He thanked Gideon for the ride and quietly entered his room. Morgan had thrown off his covers and apparently slept only in his underwear. The desk lamp Reid had forgotten to turn off cast light and shadows over his perfect physique. Spencer hung up his coat and turned it off. He was going to have enough trouble falling asleep tonight without continued images of Morgan's hotness assaulting him. He got into bed and closed his eyes on the perfect day.

**Feed my ego: Review**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thanx to all those who reviewed. In response to your concerns and questions: Reid is **_**not**_** fourteen. Reid's family are **_**not**_** the ones paying Morgan. (What? I like the process of elimination). As for the pace, I like to jump right in there. Glad it works.**

Morgan woke up before his alarm went off, like every other morning, and disabled it. He put on his sweats and hit the road. He ran two miles every morning and did an impressive job of going that distance in under twelve minutes. Reid had just hit snooze for the second time when Morgan got back to their room. He stripped his upper body bare and went on with his morning ritual half naked. It was hot and do not excuse the pun. When Spencer opened his eyes slightly to locate his offensive alarm clock he caught a glimpse of Derek's strong body moving up and down in a steady rhythm. Brown eyes flew open and Spencer was awake.

Morgan wanted to look up when the annoying sound stopped but he knew Spencer was watching him so he carried on with his push-ups. After watching Derek pump a few more times Reid decided to pick his jaw up off the floor and flirt. "Now that's what I call a good morning," he got out of bed. Derek stood up.

"I take it you're happy to see me," he smirked at the bulge in Spencer's pyjama bottoms.

"It's morning," the young genius blushed. He really couldn't help covering his crotch with his hands. He was shy and that was that. What was he thinking trying to flirt with the football captain?

"You're just too cute when you blush," Derek kicked off his training shoes. Of course this made Spencer go from the moderate pink he was sporting to beet red. His face heated up even more when Derek removed his pants. "Do you wanna go first in the shower?" Morgan asked, having remembered that he was not in the locker room.

"Yes, thank you," Reid hurried past Morgan, careful not to look below his shoulders at his hot, sweaty, sculptured- Reid shook his head as he scurried to the bathroom. The images stuck. His dick got even harder when he stepped into the bathroom because, well there was a shower in there, and shower gel. In another part of the room Derek was tidying up. He slung things all over the place when he went to bed and he picked them up and put them in their proper places in the morning. He found it helpful to sort through stuff as he started his day. This morning he was sorting through the dangers of finding Spencer's innocence so endearing.

In the bathroom Spencer was starting to pull on his cock under a warm stream of water. He imagined Derek's lips where his hands were, that the slick warmth of the gel and water was the inside of his mouth, that the ministrations of his hand were Derek hungrily devouring him. Spencer had masturbated plenty of times, to pictures, to film, to his imagination. There were always vivid features but no identity. Fantasising about Derek gratified him even more. He let his mind wonder back to the events of last night when Derek's skilled hand brought him to climax. Just like that Reid was spilling his seed onto the shower tiles, anchoring himself with his free hand. And at that moment Derek entered the bathroom. He stood there for a moment watching Spencer's head loll from side to side.

"Derek, what the hell?" Spencer screeched as he tried to preserve whatever modesty he had left.

"You called me," Derek smiled.

"What? No!" it was more an exclamation of distraught than of denial. He had actually called out Derek's name!

"Yes," Derek smiled.

"Please leave," Reid pulled the shower curtain shut, mentally cursing Derek for making him so horny that he forgot the fundamentals of masturbation, like closing the damn shower curtain. He was so embarrassed he wanted the to go down the drain with the water. There was no way he could look Derek in the eye today but there was no way Derek could leave after what he'd seen. His shaft was standing at full attention. He took off his underwear and stepped into the shower with Reid.

"What are you doing?" Spencer gasped. Having Derek in the shower with him was making it incredibly hard to breath.

"What do you think?" Derek breathed as he put a hand on either side of Spencer's face and kissed him. A small sound left Reid's throat as his hands eagerly went around Morgan's neck.

"Oh God," he gasped when he felt Morgan's hardness on his stomach. The pulsing heat of it made him shudder. Morgan's mouth went to Reid's neck, sucking and nipping as his hands dropped to the firm, pale ass. He squeezed as he ground into Spencer's hips.

"Put your hands on me Dr Reid," Derek said in a hoarse voice. Spencer put a tentative hand around Morgan's dick, making the older man whine in frustration. "It won't break," he growled into Spencer's ear. Reid tightened his grip and started pumping. Holding Derek in his hand, knowing the effect he had on the chocolate man was turning him on all over again. "Just like that," Derek encouraged as Spencer tugged, squeezed and twisted. What really got him going were the sounds Spencer was making. And boy was the doctor getting off on taking Morgan's cock in his hand.

"Spence," Morgan started to thrust erratically.

"Yeah," the young doctor moaned in his ear. Morgan grabbed Spencer's sides and thrust roughly into his palm. Reid sandwiched Derek's erection between his own and his palm. Derek's sounds of appreciation grew louder, heightening Reid's already unbearable pleasure. The youth was on the verge of tears as he exploded with Derek, coating each other's stomachs and cocks in warm white fluid.

"You're so responsive," Morgan put open mouth kisses all over Spencer's face and neck.

"You called me Dr Reid," Spencer mentioned as he basked in Derek's touch.

"Playing doctor with a doctor makes me hot," Derek put some gel on a loofah and started to wash Reid.

"Playing doctor is going to make me late," Spencer turned and let Derek scrub his back.

"Don't worry Doc, I have a morning class," Derek turned the sponge on himself, "I won't let you be late."

Reid spent the rest of their shower enjoying his afterglow as Morgan got them both clean. When they were both foam free and about to step out of the shower Derek ran his hand up the doctor's thigh and lightly between his butt cheeks. Reid jumped three feet in the air. "Now that is the perfect shade of pink," Morgan kissed Reid's blushing cheek. The slight man covered himself with his towel, still blushing.

"We should talk," Spencer tucked a wet strand of hair behind his ear, "Not right now because we don't have time but we should talk. We shouldn't just do this and not talk."

"Meet me back here at seven thirty and we'll talk," Derek snatched the towel away and watched the pale face brighten even more. Spencer was just so adorable when he blushed. Fifteen minutes later they were both exiting the room. Reid was going to work in the lab today and deliver a guest lecture. He could definitely be in his room by seven thirty. Derek would probably be cutting it close with football practice but he wasn't worried.

"Good morning all," Spencer smiled as he walked into the lab.

"Apparently it was," Hotch tilted his head. He was at the coffee station.

"What?" Spencer looked around.

"You have a hickey on your neck," Gideon told the young man.

"I do not have a hickey on my neck," Spencer went to the closest reflective surface, "I have a freaking stop sign," he gasped, "I actually walked across campus with this?" he was stunned.

"People might start to think you're normal," Gideon smiled crookedly.

"Reid," Hotch said in a stern tone that told Reid exactly what was coming, "You realise if you've had sex with Derek Morgan-"

"I haven't," Spencer stopped him right there. He was not going to have this conversation with Aaron 'straight and narrow' Hotchner. "I'm going to go write a paper in your office if that's okay with you Gideon."

"Absolutely," Gideon nodded.

"I don't think he's lying but there's something he's not telling us," Hotchner watched the young doctor go to Gideon's office.

"He's a teenager and we're practically his parents. There's plenty we won't be hearing about now that he has a boyfriend," Gideon took off his glasses and went to pour himself a cup as well.

"What did the tech find out on Morgan?" Hotch asked.

"He's in the top quarter of his class, football scholarship, doesn't smoke, barely drinks, famous ladies man," Gideon delivered the condensed version.

"And suddenly he dates a guy?" Hotch's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"There have been rumours about him and a few guys over the years but he never comments on anything, says he doesn't want people in his business," Gideon reported.

"That doesn't sit right with me," Hotch folded his arms, "Maybe we should talk to Reid," he thought out loud.

"I'm an old timer but I do remember being a teenager and wanting things all the more when I was told 'No'," Gideon had already considered talking to Spencer about Morgan. But what would he have said? _I spied_ _on your boyfriend and now I doubt that he likes you?_ No good could come of that.

"So we're going to twiddle our thumbs," Hotch's eyes narrowed once more.

"We have to let him grow up," Gideon said sadly. He hoped Derek really liked Reid. It would devastate the boy if he did not.

"I know," Hotch got up to go back to his lab, "I remember how painful all these lessons were and I want to spare him."

"I know," Gideon sat down tiredly.

On campus, not all that far from those very labs, Derek met up with Penelope. "What's with the cloak and daggers, Goddess?" he slid into the booth.

"You're doing something," Garcia set her coffee down, "What it is that's made a professor want to know every detail of your life I'm not sure I need to hear but Derek, you might want to think twice about it."

"What did you tell him?" Morgan asked.

"I left out your criminal record," she answered, "What are you up to?"

"Thought you didn't wanna know," Derek was smirking a little. Garcia just gave him a look. "I'm dating a skinny white boy with a PhD," Derek smiled. He couldn't help it. There was something about _Dr_ Reid.

"What's his name?" Garcia asked.

"You're not poking around in his life," Derek shook his head. Was he curious about Reid? Most definitely. But he wanted to find out from the young man himself.

"I'll find out who he is, you know," Garcia told him. Derek didn't doubt that.

"You gonna stalk me?" he took her coffee and drank. It was strong and sweet, like the Goddess.

"You wish," she smiled, "I'm just going to find the skinny white boy doctor who's chummy with professor Gideon. With all that man's social graces that list shouldn't even need short listing."

"Spencer Reid," Derek sighed, "Why did I open my big mouth?"

"Because you wanted to brag that you're getting nooky from a doctor," she took back her coffee with a big smile, "Is he any good?"

"I'm sure he will be," Derek bit his lip.

"No sex on the first date," Penelope practically dropped her cup, "Truly, I am proud."

"He's innocent Garcia," Derek's eyes glazed over, "I don't think anyone's touched him."

"I remember something you said about virgins," Garcia's brow furrowed, "You said they were prudey and misguided to take pride in their ignorance. Also, you said they were boring in bed and clingy out of it."

"It's cute on him," Morgan was not changing his opinion any time soon, "He blushes thirteen shades of red."

"Derek Morgan you are smitten," Garcia slapped him on the shoulder.

"Penelope Garcia you are exaggerating," Derek patted her hand like the parent of a child with an over-active imagination. He found Reid's shy ways endearing. Big deal.

"Whatever you say my chocolate Adonis," Garcia knew it was no good to argue with Derek. It was part of the reason they got along so well. He was a stubborn man whose first response to anything that didn't fit in his margins was denial. Penelope just had to meet this Spencer Reid.

"Come by my room tomorrow afternoon," Derek exerted as much control as he could over the situation, "Do not Shanghai him till then."

"Your wish, my command lover," the now blond smiled gleefully.

"Yeah right," Derek said under his breath. Like Garcia could ever hold her horses. "I will take an axe to your laptop Garcia."

"Why do you hurt me so?" she pouted.

"Why do you pretend not to like it?" he leered.

"Because I know you love to chase me," Penelope batted her eyes. They flirted like usual, enjoying each other's company, blissfully unaware that they were being watched.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Some stories are writing themselves, others not so much. Lucky are those who are following this one.**

Seven thirty, Reid stopped at his door. He looked to see if he had the right one. He did. "May I pass?" he frowned to be asking someone else for permission to enter his room.

"No," James and Damien said at the same time. They stood like sentinels with their hands behind their backs, dressed all in black. Jeans and t-shirts of course.

"It's my room," Spencer pointed out.

"We still can't let you in," Damien shook his head.

"He has someone in there, doesn't he?" Spencer's brown eyes prickled. This was all too good to be true anyway.

"He is not stupid," James shook his head. As soon as James had answered Reid saw how ridiculous the place his mind had run off to truly was. If Derek wanted to do that (ouch) he wouldn't be so obvious.

"Can we keep the last twenty seconds to ourselves please?" he blushed.

"We know nothing about it," James smiled sympathetically.

"What is he doing in there?" Spencer smiled. He hated surprises so he had no idea why he was so giddy all of a sudden.

"We can't tell you," he got the expected answer from Damien.

"I'll go watch some tv," Spencer desperately wanted something to distract himself with. His hands were already starting to sweat.

"We can't let you leave," James said as he moved to Spencer's side and Damien to the other.

"You are not serious," Spencer took a step back.

"Oh but we are," James moved to stand behind him.

"Derek," Spencer called.

"In a minute dear," Morgan answered in a funny little voice. Spencer couldn't help but laugh.

"Is he always like this?" he looked back and forth between the two guards.

"No," they said at the same time.

"Is this your only job for the night?" Reid asked.

"No but it is the last," Damien answered.

"So you know what's in there," Reid speculated.

"We're not telling you anything," James stopped the genius in his tracks.

"Are you open to bribery?" Spencer asked sceptically.

"He called it," James laughed. Damien joined in.

"What?" Reid asked, annoyed.

"Derek said brainiacs can't handle being in the dark," James told him.

"He did this on purpose," Spencer tried to push past Damien, more charmed than irritated. Derek made his feelings upside down.

"I play defence," Damien blocked him.

"Derek," Spencer called out again.

"Just a second honey," Derek used the high pitched voice again.

"You're violating our roommate agreement," Spencer said over Damien's shoulder.

"Patience is a virtue," Derek replied in a sing song voice, "And you're big on virtue, right?" he opened the door wearing dark jeans and a crisp white shirt. Reid blushed at the meaning behind Derek's words then blushed even more when James and Damien smiled in understanding.

"You're a twat, you know that?" Spencer entered the room red faced.

"Thanks guys," Derek nodded at the two in black.

"Anytime," they walked away. Derek turned around to find the pretty young doctor looking suspiciously at his erection. The one in the middle of the room that is. The furniture was moved out of the way and a white, square booth-like structure was in the middle of the room.

"It's glowing," Spencer's smile was still somewhat suspicious.

"I promise it's not on fire," Derek smiled.

"What is it?" Spencer's smile widened as his excitement bubbled.

"It's two things. It's a do-over and I'm making my intentions clear," Derek turned the lights off. The faint glow became sparkle. The muscled man pulled the curtain aside revealing the little lights he'd hung up around the artificial room. They were different sizes, several on a single strand of material that was barely visible to the naked eye. There were rose petals on the floor and on the table. The food smelled wonderful.

"This is beautiful," Spencer's hand went to his flying heart.

"Have a seat," Derek pulled a chair out for Spencer.

"Thank you," Reid smoothed his clothes, feeling under dressed. He sat down and looked at his food.

"Roast poulet," Derek said as he poured the wine, "Because everything tastes better in French."

"You cooked for me?" Spencer was touched.

"Let's go with that," Derek laughed. It was an infectious sound that made Spencer join in. "Tell me about your day," Morgan put a napkin on his lap and smiled.

"I spent most of the day-" Reid gasped as Morgan ran a hand up his thigh.

"I'm listening," Derek squeezed.

"Derek," Spencer's eyes closed.

"We're in a restaurant," Derek pitched the fantasy, taking a sip of his wine like he was trying to act normal, "You wouldn't want anyone to see, would you?"

"Are you always this hot?" Reid panted, "Sexual," he corrected, "I mean sexual."

"No," Derek moved his hand back and forth, "On a normal day I'd have you on the table right now."

"I can't eat," Reid pushed his plate away, "The food looks great. It smells wonderful really but I just can't eat right now."

"Have some wine," Derek tried to get him to loosen up.

"My head is already foggy," Reid shook his head.

"Do you want me to stop?" Derek rubbed circles with his thumb.

"No," Spencer sunk into his seat, moving closer to Derek, "Yes. Stop. Talk."

"I want to keep doing this," Morgan put his middle finger where Reid's ass met his leg, "Do you want me to keep doing it?"

"Yes," Spencer moved his ass against Morgan's hand unconsciously, "And I don't want you to do it with anyone else."

"I'd be thinking about you the entire time anyway," Morgan moved his chair closer to Reid's. He wasn't lying. There was just something about being the first man to walk on the moon. His hand moved to the erection between the young man's legs.

"You wanna come?" Spencer moaned, "To my party. Come to my birthday party. Next week."

"Yes, I want to come," Derek got on his knees, "To your birthday party," he smiled up at Reid, "I even have an early present for you," he unbuttoned Reid's pants and pulled the zipper down. "Help me with the belt," Derek massaged Reid's thighs. Lightning quick, Spencer undid his belt and pushed his pants down with his boxers. His erection sprang free and Derek just took a moment to look at it.

"Please don't," Spencer covered his penis with his hands.

"No need to be shy now," Derek pulled Spencer's hands away.

"Says the guy with the horse penis," Reid tried to free his hands to cover himself again.

"It's not that big. Seriously, watch more porn," Derek pulled Reid's pants all the way down. See, another way to get a man to stop hiding his cock is to make him want you to touch it. He started sucking on his inner thigh and stroking his perineum with his middle finger. Spencer melted, his hands fell and Derek smiled smugly. A skilled, pink tongue worked its way up a pale thigh. Morgan half expected Reid to taste like vanilla. He was still surprised by the hint of sweetness in the tang of Reid's taste. Maybe he imagined it. A sharp hiss passed Reid's lips as Morgan's mouth moved down his shaft. He almost cried out when a calloused hand wrapped around the base of his member. He actually did when Morgan started moving.

Reid had never had a blowjob. The warm water in the shower could not be compared to the slick heat of Derek's mouth. "Derek," Spencer thrust upwards as Morgan moved his tongue back and forth on the underside, pumping hand and mouth up and down. Derek Morgan had two paces: fast and furious. Spencer moaned, louder each time, nearing his finish much sooner than he wanted. Derek used his teeth lightly, rotating his head a bit in each direction as his head bobbed. Spencer ran through the decimals of pi, trying to ward off his orgasm. He came on the forty fifth decimal, screaming Derek's name. He thought about pulling out... long after Morgan had swallowed (something he didn't think he'd be doing either). The genius sat there with his mouth open and his eyes closed as his pulse made its was to its normal rhythm. Derek dragged his hand back and forth across Reid's thigh, kissing it lightly.

"Would you like me to, uh, reciprocate?" Spencer bit the nail of his thumb.

"With that scared look on your face? No," Derek said from the floor.

"You sure?" Reid bit his bottom lip.

"I'm horny, of course I'm not sure," Derek leaned against Reid's leg, "Ask me again and I'll put my dick in your mouth."

It made Reid shiver to hear that sentence. "I hope you never stop doing that," Derek kissed Reid's thigh.

"And when the novelty wears off?" Spencer's voice became sad.

"I'm gonna teach you something," Derek stood up. Spencer pulled his clothes up and stood too. "It's called living in the moment," Morgan knelt in the corner to put music on. Marvin Gaye's _Let's get it on _filled the room. Reid just had to laugh. Morgan got up, a crooked smile on his lips, and held out his hand to Reid. Spencer bit his bottom lip and placed his hand in Morgan's. He gasped as he was pulled against the hard, chiselled body.

"I like this moment," Reid said into Derek's shoulder, "But-"

Morgan kissed Reid hard for a few seconds, "But nothing," he put their foreheads together. Spencer closed his eyes and swayed to the music with his partner. The come hither lyrics spewed out by the high-pitched voice made Reid laugh a little in his throat and snuggle closer to the broad chest. Wrapped in Derek's arms Reid felt safe and warm and happy. This was a moment he could live in. For the first time in his life he knew what it was to feel sexy. Derek put his face to Spencer's hair, got lost in the silky smooth feel of it and the flowery scent of his shampoo. And Derek was good at getting lost in the moment. He would have gone crazy (homicidal or suicidal) long ago otherwise. And this moment, with Spencer's slim frame pressed against his, youthful innocence lifting his spirit, this was a moment he wanted to stay in forever. So the knock on the door was not in any way welcome.

"Go away," Derek answered. The door opened slightly then closed.

"If you don't want me to see it, cover it up," a voice unfamiliar to Reid warned and paused.

"Oh no," Derek let go of Reid and sprang to the door. He got tangled in the lights and Reid couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him. Of course this meant Derek couldn't get to the door in time to stop the intruder.

"Oh baby," Garcia entered and turned the lights on, "It makes me tingly to see you all tied up."

Reid felt a strange mixture of anger and despair that he couldn't quite recognise.

"Baby girl, I asked you not to do this," Derek finally fought himself free.

"I asked you not to start without me. Did you listen?" Garcia smiled, waltzing into the room. Reid blinked back the tears of betrayal and ran from the room, completely misunderstanding the situation but what was he to think?

"Oh dear God Garcia," Morgan tried to chase Reid down only he'd already disappeared. Where could the kid have gone so fast? The answer to his question was that Reid had entered the not-yet-occupied room next door to theirs and went down the fire escape. But there was no one there to tell Derek that. He ran to the end of the hall in both directions and went back into his room.

"Looks like I was just in time," Garcia was sitting at the table drinking wine.

"You did this on purpose?" Derek yelled.

"This is some good wine," Garcia took another sip, "There's something Dr Reid is not telling you." 

"You did just sabotage my date so I should not be at all surprised that you probed into his life," Derek sighed, sitting down.

"When you put it like that it sounds so invasive," Garcia put her hand to her chest, being her usual dramatic self.

"I'm not exactly a saint bathed in white light, you know," Derek picked up the other glass and down a big mouthful.

"Of course not, those are the ones that welcome people into heaven and as far as I know you're not dead. And I know pretty far," she prattled.

"Garcia."

"He's seventeen," she said.

"What?" Derek didn't process the information.

"He's jailbait,"Garcia said in a serious tone, "In more ways than one," she turned the bottle of wine. How much did one get for statutory rape and contributing to the corruption of a minor?

"I should have known," Derek mentally kicked himself. No one who was legally an adult would be that inexperienced.

"You didn't have sex with him, right?" Garcia wanted to be sure.

"How broad is the legal definition of sex?" Morgan asked.

"Broad enough," Garcia answered, "Tell me he's not the type to go to the authorities if he's scorned."

"He isn't," Morgan was confident in his answer. Reid had a purity that wasn't rooted just in his lack of sexual history. He was pure of heart.

"Does he tell his professor friend what you two do?" Garcia wanted all the bases covered.

"I really hope not," Derek clasped his hands together. A man who'd do a background check on the prospective boyfriend would definitely bring all the misery he was capable of to the guy who 'took advantage' of Reid. "Garcia, thank you for coming by but you need to leave before Spencer comes back."

"Sure," she got up.

"I'll call someone to walk you home," he pulled out his cellphone, "I can't afford to add fuel to this fire."

"Don't worry about me sugar. There's someone I want to try my damsel in distress act on," she wink.

"Go ahead with your bad self," Derek opened the door for her.

"Goodnight lover," she said as she walked past him.

"Night Goddess," he smiled as he closed the door. Derek cleared the table, washed the dishes and packed them away. Reid didn't come home. He took down all the lights and packed them away. Reid did not come home. He took down the draping, swept away the rose petals, moved the furniture back. Still Reid did not come home. Derek sat facing the door, waiting. Criminology and statistics aside, how ironic would it be if he ended up a sex offender?

**Just so we're clear: The age of consent in this unnamed state is eighteen. Inspire me: Review**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I have no idea what it is about this story but it's just flowing. The reviews help a great deal. **

**Storm, Snarl, Nannily and Antigone many thanks for your reviews and don't fret, this mess will be sorted out shortly. **

**Sriena, don't underestimate your reviews ability to inspire especially given the amount of feedback you give. **

**Many thanks to IDIC for your review, who is a beta for one of my favourite Morgan/Reid stories. And quite a review it was. Okay, angst cometh, bottom of the lake depth I think. Morgan+"18****th**** Birthday party"=No comment, it's significant to the chapter. As for the names they use, don't worry about it love, I'm making them do the get to know you thing before they find the comfort of the surnames and such. Thank you for the compliments. **

**Right, now on to the story. **

Reid went to the library and tried to read. Fat load of good that did him. So Derek decided to use him to entertain his girlfriend, it wasn't exactly new. He'd provided plenty of laughs for high school and college students alike. It was surprising that it hurt this much now. There were only two people there to enjoy his anguish, as opposed to the entire student body. Somehow that made it worse. Spencer was seldom wrong about people but, as it turned out, when he was wrong, he was _really_ wrong.

He ended up in the bathroom crying, which was in itself humiliating. Clearly he was not cut out to live with people below the age of thirty because really there was only so much torment a person could take. Having made this decision Reid felt more composed. He bought a can of soda from a vending machine on the way to the lab. It being his lucky night the stupid thing ate his first dollar. A tear slid out of his eye. Even machines were mean to him tonight. With a sigh he wiped his eyes and pressed the cold drink to them one by one. When he was satisfied that the swelling was gone he walked to the lab slowly, hoping the redness would be completely gone by the time he got there.

Spencer searched his pockets for his access card. Dammit! It was in his messenger bag, in a room he had no intention of going back to. He sighed and pressed the intercom: "Gideon," he cleared his throat, "I forgot my access card in my bag... which I forgot in my room."

The door opened and Spencer entered. "What happened?" Gideon looked him over.

"Nothing," Spencer answered.

"You _forgot_ two things," Gideon said slowly, "Call me crazy but that seems strange for someone with an eidetic memory."

"I don't wanna talk about it," Spencer let his hair fall over his eye as he turned away from Gideon to look for something, anything to do.

"Hotch has a new toy," Gideon informed, "Come see," he stood and waited.

"Sure," Reid blinked his eyes clear. Gideon turned and walked to Hotch's lab. He knew Reid didn't need to be studied right now. He also knew who was at the root of this trouble. Who could it be but Derek Morgan? Spencer looked through the object floating between the two poles. On any other day it would have been fascinating. They did just make an object (indistinguishable though it may be) fly. Hotch sighed and turned the mechanism off.

"What?" Reid jumped a little when the object hit the table.

"What is wrong with you?" Hotch asked the doctor. "If you say 'nothing' I will smack you," he added when the young man opened his mouth to answer.

"Derek has a girlfriend," Spencer said in a shaky voice.

"That little bastard," Hotch shook his head.

"It's no big deal," Reid shook his head, looking down, "He's just dumb jock and he won't be my roommate any longer if your offer still stands," he looked up at Gideon.

"If it's not a big deal why are you moving out of your room?" Hotch asked.

"Hotch," Gideon shook his head at his colleague.

"I don't need to be living with someone like that," Reid folded his arms and looked at the table.

"I agree with you there," Hotch looked at the kid sympathetically.

"Luckily you left your overnight bag in my lab," Gideon patted Reid's shoulder, trying to look on the bright side.

"Yeah, lucky me," Reid mumbled bitterly.

Something in Reid's worn, old bag caught Derek's attention. Since his ass had lost feeling from sitting down he got up and pulled it out. This he could use. He ran out of the building, to Gideon's lab. When he got there he stopped only to slide the card through the little slot and enter. It was bright and empty inside but there were other parts of it not visible right off.

"Spencer," he called tentatively. He walked into the lab like there were eggs on the floor. This suddenly seemed like a very bad idea. Here he was in a private lab with a stolen access card. The felonies were just piling up tonight. "Reid," he hissed. Getting caught by the professor would not be good either. "This is stupid," Derek spun, knocked over a strangely bright DNA model or whatever. Of course it shattered into a million little pieces. Reflexively he bent to pick them up.

"What the hell?" footsteps filled the room.

"That couldn't have fallen over by itself," Gideon looked to the pieces on the floor. Spencer quickly scanned the room.

"Over there," Spencer pointed to a shadow on the floor.

"Hi," Derek stood up and waved awkwardly.

"What are you doing here?" Spencer said angrily. Tears sprang to his eyes, making him even angrier. He would never live down the humiliation of crying in front of Derek.

"We need to talk," Morgan walked closer.

"No, you need to leave," Hotch stepped into his path.

"Spencer please," the dark skinned man stepped closer still.

"Fuck you," Reid shocked the two professors in the room and turned to leave.

"How can a mathematician draw a conclusion with only half the equation?" Morgan asked. Reid huffed and turned around. He looked at Derek with open hostility. "Garcia and I have been friends for years. That's just the way she talks and she doesn't usually lay it on that thick but she was trying to sabotage our date."

"Of course your _girlfriend_ wanted to sabotage our date," Spencer said petulantly.

"My _friend_ sabotaged our date because you're seventeen," Derek hissed. Spencer looked down, fiddling with the edge of his shirt. "Dammit Reid that's something you tell a guy _before_ you let him stick his hand down the front your pants."

"Bad, bad, bad images in my head," Hotch grimaced as he turned to go back to his lab.

"This seems like a conversation for two," Gideon followed his friend. This was clearly no longer a matter that required their involvement.

"Sorry I said that in front of them," Derek walked closer.

"So she's really not your girlfriend?" Spencer looked up at Derek with wide, hopeful eyes.

"No," Derek shook his head, "She's my best friend."

"She's a girl!" Spencer protested.

"So?" Derek wasn't sure he got Spencer's point.

"She's blonde and curvy," Reid pouted.

"I'm sure the poor sap she's pursuing right now will appreciate that," Derek laughed.

"You flirt with her," Spencer went back to picking at his shirt.

"It's her medium of communication," Morgan explained, "She'll flirt with you when you stay in the room long enough."

"I've been the victim of a few practical jokes," Reid started explaining his behaviour.

"I'm sorry," Derek tucked Reid's hair behind his ear, "And I'm sorry for Garcia's behaviour."

"No, _I'm_ sorry," Spencer looked up despite his embarrassment. He needed to see Derek's reaction.

"You have nothing to apologise for," Morgan stroked his cheek and pulled him close, "And just so you know: I like you. And it's not just about the insane sex appeal you have," Morgan let his hand fall to Reid's hip, "You're smart and sweet, unbelievably adorable, not the slightest bit arrogant. You have a stick up your ass and not in the fun sense. Strangely, I find it endearing."

"What's the fun sense?" Spencer bit his lip.

"Something you won't get to find out till you're eighteen," Derek teased.

"I think I know," Spencer wrapped his arms around Morgan's neck, pulling him even closer.

"Do you now?" Derek sucked on Reid's neck. A long slender leg wrapped around Morgan's as Reid assaulted his mouth with a fierce kiss and his fingers dug into his broad shoulders. A throat being cleared made Reid jump back and push Morgan so that in the next second they were four feet apart.

"I take it the matter has been resolved," Gideon looked at the blushing Reid, who nodded and made a sound of confirmation.

"Professor Gideon, may I have a word with you?" Derek asked.

"Alright," Gideon nodded.

"Not alright," Spencer shook his head, "What could you two have to say to each other?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," Derek ran his hands through Spencer's hair then kissed his temple. Hotch watched in fascination. That simple gesture was... he couldn't find a word for it. Derek pulled Spencer in as he combed through the brown hair with his fingers and Spencer leaned into the kiss. It was seamless like it was a habit, like something they'd done forever.

"Okay, talk," Spencer instructed Derek. Morgan smiled and said nothing.

"I had the Garcia girl do a background check on your... on Derek," it seemed strange for Gideon to use the young man's first name.

"Gideon," Spencer gasped.

"It's okay," Derek assured him, rubbing his shoulder. Reid studied him and found his statement true.

"How is it that someone looks into your private affairs and I'm the one who ends up feeling violated?" Spencer really wanted to know.

"You're pure of heart," Derek stroked his cheek. Spencer smiled. "I understand why he wants to protect you," Morgan looked at Gideon, "But in future, Professor, please ask me about anything you might want to know."

Gideon nodded. Spencer gave him a stern look then turned to Derek. "Do you want to go back to the dorm?" he asked, "With me."

"I wouldn't want to go with anyone else," Derek smiled.

"See you in the morning," he told the two professors then turned and pulled Derek to the door.

"Did you see that one coming?" Hotch asked his work place neighbour.

"No," Gideon looked on as Derek carried Reid's bag and Reid put his head on Derek's shoulder. They walked away hand in hand.

"Morgan seems to be a good kid," Hotch observed.

"And he really seems to like Spencer," Gideon nodded as the two exited hand in hand.

"Also, he made a huge mess on your floor," Hotch patted his friend's shoulder and went back to his lab.

"Thank you for helping," Gideon grumbled as he went to clean up. They didn't allow the cleaning staff into either lab. There was just too much potential for disaster.

"I cannot believe you used my love of math against me," Reid thought out loud.

"Somehow I don't think you would have stayed in that room much longer otherwise," Derek asked.

"No, I wouldn't have," Reid admitted.

"Try not to jump to conclusions so much," Derek rubbed Spencer's chin.

"I really am sorry about that," Reid made the eyes again.

"Please stop apologising," Derek begged, "And don't apologise to Garcia when she comes to apologise to you."

"I won't," Reid promised.

"Even jealousy is cute on you," Derek shook his head with a smile on his face.

"I'm not jealous," Spencer couldn't believe he'd just been accused of being... then he recognised that angry desperate feeling. "My goodness, I am jealous." He sounded so shocked Morgan had to laugh. "And jealousy is not a desirable trait."

Morgan stopped and blocked Reid's path, got right up close, he brushed his lips against Reid's, making the young man shiver, "You need to forget the crap you read in idealistic romance novels," backed off just as fast as he'd come on.

"I can't," Reid sighed, "Eidetic memory."

Derek didn't answer. His face went blank. The cogs in his brain were turning. What they were producing was a rather dismal outcome. If Spencer could recall all he had heard and seen with clarity then Morgan's nefarious motives would always be fresh in his mind.

"Derek," Spencer shook his shoulder a little. The older man broke out of his trance and landed a smouldering kiss on the young man. Spencer did not hesitate to reciprocate. In fact he pulled his shirt off and dropped it by his feet.

"Whoa," Derek pushed him back, "We need to slow down on that."

"What's wrong?" Reid wrapped his arms around his torso.

"You're a _minor_," Morgan said like it was the most obvious reason for abstinence, "No action below the Mason-Dixon line till you're eighteen."

"I'll be eighteen in nine days. Will I be so different then?" Spencer put a hand on either side of Derek's face.

"According to the law? Vastly," Derek smirked.

"It's not like I'm gonna tell anyone," Spencer ran his hand down Derek's chest.

"I'll know," Morgan grabbed the roaming hand.

"Oh come on I'm not twelve," Reid moved in close, breathing in at the nape of Derek's neck.

"Stop," Morgan grabbed Spencer's hair and pulled his head back a little harder than he thought he would. "I'm sorry," he slid his hand to Reid's shoulder, "No sex with minors. It's a rule I don't break."

"Nine days," Spencer shrugged. This was obviously important to Derek.

"Thank you," Morgan gave Reid a tender kiss. They talked about this and that as they got changed then said good night and slipped into their beds. Neither of them slept much.


	6. Chapter 6

**Flashback**

Four people sat on the curb, dirty and covered in soot. Firemen were busy putting out the house behind them. "It's okay baby," Mrs Morgan wrapped her arm around her son.

"Mom," Derek started in a tight voice.

"I know baby," she held his hand.

"I'm sorry," he said anyway.

"It was an accident," his mother rubbed his bald head, "You meant well."

"The road to hell..." his elder sister said in a sing song voice.

"Sarah," her mother warned.

"Look to the raging inferno behind you," Sarah pointed, "That's a fire Dante would envy."

"Derek just wanted to do something nice for his mama," Mrs Morgan slapped Sarah's hand.

"It kinda blew up in his face," Desiree scoffed, "It kinda blew up in all our faces," she shook soot out of her hair.

"You laugh now," Sarah grumbled, "We're gonna have to spend Christmas with our cousin. Hell, given the time of year we'll have to be there till after new years."

"Cindi is a nice girl," Fran gave her daughter a stern look.

"You're not the one that has to share a room with her," Desiree said under her breath. Their cousin Cindi was a nice girl but she hogged the phone, finished the hot water and left her crap everywhere. Typical only child. Yvonne Burns was a hard working widow. She kept the four bedroom house she'd bought with her husband. If they went to the Burns' (which was a given) the three girls would have to share a single room while the remaining two went to Derek and their mother.

"Happy thanks giving," the fire chief gave Fran the report. The group chuckled lightly. Derek scratched his bald head.

"Don't worry about it," his mother rubbed his back on their way back to the house, "I can finally get something out of nine years' premiums." Derek cracked his first smile. "There's my boy," Fran pinched his cheek affectionately.

"His smile can light up a room," Desiree looked around inside the house as she stepped over the charred threshold then burst into laughter with her older sister.

"Neither of you are funny," Derek told them.

"I have a fire crack whip," Sarah guffawed.

"I am never gonna hear the end of this, am I?" Derek grimaced.

"Never," his mother shook her head.

"Ever," Desiree added.

"_Ever_," Sarah smiled. Derek sighed and went about packing his things, as did everyone else. His mother made a call to her sister in law. Luckily the sleeping areas of the house hadn't really been affected by the fire. As people tend to discover when they try to move, they didn't have enough bags to hold all their stuff.

"Some of this has to go to storage," the mother of three looked at her family's luggage.

"Yeah, Derek's junk," Sarah was actually being serious.

"Or Sarah's shoes," he countered. The three women gave him this look of disbelief he could not quite understand. "Did I blaspheme?" he asked sarcastically.

"Yes," his sisters answered in pointed seriousness.

"So much to learn," his mother patted his shoulder. Derek could not wait for school to start so he could back to living with people he could actually understand. "We'll decide tomorrow. Just get everything into the car," she instructed. After the car was loaded by the surly young adults they crammed themselves into the family car and took off to live with their extended family for a while.

Three days later Mrs Morgan was standing in her house getting a quotation. "What have we got?" she asked a man in a hard hat with a clip board of some kind.

"Damage to the pipes," he answered with the least obvious of the Morgans' problems, "This wouldn't be anything significant but your house has copper pipes, which have now been replaced by industrial plastic."

"You're going to have to replace the entire pipe system," Mrs Morgan sighed.

"It's not a job we can finish before the year is out," he handed her the quotation.

"This is for eleven thousand dollars," she gasped.

"Brick houses," he shrugged, "What can I say?"

"Thank God we have insurance," Fran folded the piece of paper up and put it in her purse.

**Two weeks later**

"What do mean I'm not insured?" Mrs Morgan was doing her very best not to yell but this was getting ridiculous.

"Ma'am, your insurance has lapsed," the insurance lady explained calmly.

"That is not possible," she replied, "I made the payment on the first of this month."

"Ma'am our financial month ends on the seventh," the woman said with practised patience, "Your cover expired almost three weeks ago."

"I have been making that payment on the first of every month for nine years now," said Mrs Morgan.

"The commencement of the company's financial month was changed during the restructuring three years ago," the young woman told her.

"When the hell was I going to hear about this?" Fran started losing his cool.

"It was in all three of the annual magazines we've been sending you since it changed," the clearly rehearsed answer was given.

"Nobody reads those stupid things," Fran was starting to get seriously ticked off.

"It's important to read them ma'am," again with the practised response.

"So you're telling me I've been paying you a full premium for six days of coverage per month for three years and what? No one thought they should point it out?" Fran was yelling now. This called for yelling.

"It is your responsibility-" the young lady started.

"Son of a bitch," Fran swiped her hand across the desk, sending pens, papers, pencils and personal effects flying. For the first time during that interaction the insurance lady missed a beat. On any other day Fran would have apologised. On any other day she would not have spoken or behaved that way. Not today. Today she just picked up her purse and left. "What the hell am I going to do?" she appealed to some power higher than herself on the drive home. When she got to her sister-in-law's house she took out her statements and bills and all pieces of paper relating to her family's financial affairs. She had the house to herself for a while, nobody wanted to be in a house where everyone was on top of everyone else for very long.

Four hours later Yvonne arrived to find her sister-in-law sitting on the kitchen floor in a flood of paper with her hand on her forehead. "What's wrong?" she rushed in.

"My house went up in flames and I found out I have no insurance. Said house has two mortgages on it. The money in my savings account is for Desiree's senior year tuition. The only way to keep my house is to put my daughter in public school," Mrs Morgan threw her hands up.

"Can't you take out a loan?" Yvonne sat down next to her.

"I'm treading water," Fran confessed, "If I take on any more I will be in the hole and there won't be any getting out."

"You could stay here till the end of her senior year," Mrs Burns offered, "Morgan will go back to college in no time and Sarah could have her own room."

"'I feel like a fucking refugee' is what I heard my youngest say," Fran laughed, "Besides, the longer the house remains unfixed the more work it will need in the long run. And it's mortgaged I can't exactly leave it to rot."

"Desiree will still be a straight A student in public school," Yvonne tried to offer a little comfort.

"She wants to go Ivy League," the red haired woman sighed, "Just about everyone who wants to get into those places has a perfect GPA. It's about all the extra stuff you do and she won't get to do all that in public school. Not to mention that people from these places go to her current school. If she meets one of them and they're impressed she could have a foot in the door. God," Fran slammed her hand on the floor, "How do I keep this from falling apart?"

"We'll figure something out," Yvonne wrapped her arm around her sister-in-law's shoulder. Derek was leaning on the other side of the wall with his head in his hands. He had a full ride so he wouldn't be the one to suffer because of his idiocy. As quietly as he could, Morgan opened the door and left. He caught up with his friends at a pub.

"What's got your panties in a knot?" one of them asked when he sat at the end of the bar letting his beer get flat.

"What are you talking about?" Morgan played dumb.

"You run home to take a shower but you come back sweaty and filthy," he looked Derek up and down deliberately, "Then you buy a beer and you sit there looking through it like you're trying to find the meaning of life."

"My mom's gonna pull Dez out of her preppy private school because of my botched Thanksgiving dinner attempt," Derek shared, "Then she won't get into Yale or Harvard or whichever fancy school she's picked. I have about fifteen hundred dollars in my account so we're short about ten thousand."

"Damn," his mate sympathised, "Your mom's tough. She always muddles through."

"I'm not so sure she can this time," Derek stood up and fished around his pocket, "And I can't afford this beer."

"I've got it," his friend waved him off. Derek said goodbye to the group and left.

"I know a way you can get ten thousand dollars and keep your sister in her fancy school," a voice said from behind him.

"No thanks," Derek glanced back at the old man and walked on.

"You might want to hear what I want to say before you dismiss me," the old man put his hands in his pockets as he caught up to Derek, "It's your family's future."

"What do you want?" Morgan planted his feet and put his hands in his pockets.

"Your help with a student," the old guy answered.

"Bullshit," Morgan started walking again.

"I'm telling the truth, I assure you," he said coolly, "He's a bright young boy who goes to school with you. Just keep him occupied for a few months and you'll get your... how much did you say you needed? Ten thousand?"

"How the hell do you know where I go to school?" Morgan stopped and glared.

"I'm a professor there and you're well on your way to a pro ball career," the white haired man answered, "Everyone knows Derek Morgan. I just want you to get to know Spencer Reid. And judging by his internet history I'm sure he would _love_ to get to know you."

The meaning was crystal clear to Morgan but ten thousand seemed a lot even for what this man was asking. "What's so important about this kid?" he asked.

"Yours is not to question why," the professor told him.

"Who are you?" Morgan asked.

"Professor Rothschild," he answered.

"Well, Professor, my family does not have a few months," Derek replied.

"I'll give you half in good faith," Rothschild smiled. Half would get a construction crew on the job.

"I need it _now_," Morgan was trying not to think of this in detail. School would be out for a while still.

"I'll leave it in a deposit box at the train station. I'll leave the key in your mailbox," the old man had obviously planned this long before he heard Morgan spill his guts to his friend, "It's the charred house, right?"

"Cute," Derek folded his arms.

"I'll take it we have a deal," the professor nodded, "I'll leave any info you need on little Spencer in the mailbox as well. Once you touch that money, Mr Morgan, there's no backing out."

"Sure but as far as anything illegal goes I'm drawing the line right here," Derek wanted to be clear.

"Don't let the price fool you," Prof Rothschild smiled, "This is going to be easy. You and I will have minimal contact. If you do this right the only time you'll hear from me again will be when I give you the other half of that money."

"Works for me," Derek walked away. What he'd just agreed to was borderline prostitution but what was he to do? Let his baby sister suffer for his mistake?

The next day Derek went to his home. He found instructions. Some of which being he had to leave the frat house and move into a dorm. His room assignment would put him in the same room as this Spencer Reid person. There was the key and there was a picture. It looked like the kind you would find on an ID. The subject of it had slightly curled brown hair, pale skin, big brown eyes and beautiful cheek bones.

"Hello Spencer Reid," Morgan arched a brow at the picture. He'd have no problem getting familiar with this face.

**AN: See? I answer your questions. Even if I have to travel back in time to answer them. Now drop a quarter in the well and make a wish and I'll see if I can grant it.**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: CM is pretty much the only series that didn't break my heart with its finale so merry christmas to the followers of this story. Happy birthday Yugi. Thanks should be directed to you on this early update (and complaints regarding the late one for my story criminal minds). It's three thirty in South Africa and no freakin way I'm proof reading this.**

Reid was walking on sunshine. He'd been seeing Derek for nine days and it was enough to convince him that artists were spot on, having a muse made the wheels turn faster, laughter was indeed the best medicine and heavy petting was seriously underrated. There was a change in him no one could miss.

"Stop," Reid laughed.

"Say that like you mean it," Morgan nipped at his neck again.

"People will see," the young doctor gave him better access despite his words.

"No one comes to campus this early," Derek snaked a hand up the back of Reid's leg and caressed gently.

"I do, Gideon's expecting me," Spencer whined, "We need to... work," he moaned as Morgan slid his tongue along his collar bone. They were standing right outside Gideon's lab.

"He'll get you in five minutes," Derek moved his hand to Reid's ass and squeezed.

"No," the genius said in the sudden high pitch Derek had come to love.

"Two," he put his hand under Spencer's shirt, running the back of it up his front.

"Okay," Reid gave in, "Two minutes," he put a hand on either side of Morgan's face and kissed him on the mouth, rubbing up against him as Morgan pushed him further up the wall. Just as things were getting interesting Hotch poked his head through the door and cleared his throat.

"Hotch," Reid pushed Derek back.

"If I hadn't come Gideon would have," the professor shrugged, "You two have a proposal you can't show up to with a fresh hickey."

"You didn't tell me about that," Morgan rubbed the red spot under Reid's jaw, "Uh, Garcia can probably cover that with concealer for you," he rubbed again like the mark might disappear.

"Now you're just gonna give him a bruise," Hotch rolled his eyes.

"Bring your make up artist to the party," Reid kissed Derek softly on the mouth and started to walk away.

"The one you're having here, in this lab," Morgan cut his eyes like he did the first time he got this bit of information.

"Hey snarky, why don't you ever come inside?" Hotch asked.

"Busy, in a hurry, gotta run," Morgan kissed Spencer's cheek and walked away briskly. Reid just laughed. Morgan was not comfortable around Gideon, with good reason. The man was like a father to Spencer.

"So he's avoiding Gideon, huh?" Hotch guessed.

"Yep," Reid walked inside.

"Tiny bit of unsolicited advise," Hotch put his hand on Reid's shoulder, stopping him from moving forward into the lab, "Go home and change your pants. The skinny cut is fun to look at but near impossible to get off."

"What?" Reid twitched, blushing beet red.

"You remember I caught you two dry humping five seconds ago, right? I'm old enough to know it doesn't stay dry very long," Hotch looked around the room for Gideon, all clear, "I'm not even going to go into the purple spots that pepper your body because I don't think I want to know how you ended up with a hickey on your ankle and today you're legal so... I'm not going to give you a speech on being safe because, as the cautious genius I've come to love, if you throw all that out of the window you deserve whatever you get," he patted Reid on the shoulder.

"I suppose," Reid laughed.

"You're here," Gideon seemed to rise up out of the ground. You couldn't tell by looking at the place but there was another lab in the basement.

"What were you doing down there?" Spencer asked. It was his lab in all but name.

"Today you can be held liable by a court of law," he smiled, "People can finally trust you with with their money."

"When you put it like that it's a little scary," Spencer chuckled nervously.

"Screw your courage to the sticking place," Gideon slapped his arm, "You put your blood into this."

"I was hoping the terror wouldn't hit me till tomorrow but thanks," Reid nodded.

"Right, day of relaxation," the professor changed his tune, "We're putting down our tools and picking up a cake," he looked around for his car keys.

"And decorations," Spencer tacked on.

"We decorate now?"Gideon looked somewhat perplexed.

"His boyfriend is coming, remember?" Hotch got up, "I'm coming along to help you hopeless idiots." Reid and Gideon gave him insulted looks. "Hey, I have a wife," he reminded them, "If anyone here is at least semi-literate in making things pretty, it is me."

"Let's just go," Gideon rolled his eyes. Hotch was going to lord Haley over him for the rest of their natural lives.

"Bring her," Reid all but ordered, "And you bring the artist," he pointed at Gideon.

"Sure," Gideon nodded, "I'll bring the woman I can't possibly sleep to what is fast becoming a couples party."

"Don't sulk," Hotch fished his keys out of his pocket, "We're taking my car."

"Can you perhaps call Mrs Hotchner to come help?" Spencer bit his lip nervously, "Maybe Jack can come too?"

"He's four," Hotch pressed the exit button, "His idea of fun mostly involves breaking things. And no, I don't have an older child tucked away in my back pocket."

"Your brother Shaun," the light bulb came on in Spencer's mind.

"It sounds like we're going to throw an actual party," Gideon said as they stepped outside.

"What's wrong with that?" Reid mumbled.

"I'm gonna call Haley," Hotch threw his phone to Gideon and pulled out his phone. His wife was actually excited about the idea. She sometimes felt like her husband's job was a rift between them. This was like getting invited to one of those office parties spouses were never allowed to go to and being made a central part. She bought the decorations, and vetoed a few, and the guys loaded them into the car. "Isn't confetti going to far?" her husband asked.

"No," she shook her head, "You haven't given this boy a proper birthday party from what I hear," she touched Spencer's cheek, inspiring a blush. So they spent the rest of the day moving equipment and putting decorations and violating just about every code ever written down and dodging calls from the department.

"I have to run out for a bit," Spencer said as he literally ran out. He had to change of his flattering pants (and he discovered just what Hotch was talking about) and he did the requisite prep work for another activity he was planning to part take in later that night. Haley put the confetti at the beginning of the night. Everyone threw it at Spencer as he walked through the door. Some got in his mouth but he just laughed it off. He was so relieved to see Derek there. He hadn't even realised he was nervous about the possibility of him not showing up.

First came the very badly sung happy birthday, then the ridiculous hat he had to wear, then he cut the cake and finally he got to the presents. Gideon gave him a gold watch. Hotch gave him one with leather straps. And to think these two people spent most of their time in the same building. Garcia gave him a year's subscription to an internet service she wouldn't specify and Derek, Derek gave him eighteen present.

"Seventeen of them are booby prizes," he warned.

"Explosive dye?" Reid guessed.

"Explosive humour," Penelope pulled up a seat. Everyone followed suit and looked on with interest as Spencer began to open his presents. The first one was in a small box. "You're not allowed to shake it," Garcia said when Spencer brought it to his ear.

"Just open the thing," Gideon rolled his eyes. Reid opened the small box.

"A cherry?" he shook his head at the fruit. Just about everyone else in the lab burst into laughter. "What am I missing?"

"Think action figures," Hotch hinted.

"Well 'cherry' in action figures speaks of mint condition. When it's still unused and oh my God," he dropped it.

Derek gave Reid a sly smile. The other guy blushed. "Move on to the next one," Shaun encouraged. Reid opened the next little box and closed it.

"Let us see," Garcia instructed the blushing Spencer Reid.

"It's a twinkie," Spencer giggled. He couldn't help it, even he got that one right off the bed. And good thing too. Gideon was about to stop the fun and games thinking they were at Reid's expense and he wasn't enjoying them. There were handcuffs, a whip, a sub collar, a rape whistle, a pair of jokers, some hot sauce, a leather thong.

"That one's for a demonstration," Morgan told Reid when he pulled out a condom and a banana.

"Derek," Spencer gave him a shocked look.

"Hey, you didn't tell me you'd have middle aged people at your party," he shrugged.

"Hey," Haley threw some confetti at Morgan.

"I wasn't referring to you. You're twenty one, right?" he charmed her.

"I like him," she told Hotch. She had been giggling herself silly for the past half hour. Then Reid gave the safe sex lecture and put the condom on the banana only to have the thing pop off with a loud noise and catch Shaun right on the nose.

"You're vile," the brown haired man said as he pulled mouth wash out of a box.

"I'm lecherous," Morgan corrected, "There's a line."

"You are very close to crossing it," Gideon warned.

"Give the kid a break, Reid's enjoying himself," Hotch said under his breath. The next box produced a stamp that had to be placed on Reid's body by a volunteer (ie Derek Morgan) who placed it on his cheek because he did not want to lift the kid's shirt in front of this crowd. Wings, a wand and a tiara in the same box and they had to be warned to grant a single wish. Gideon wished they would get this over with. The crowd was opposed and the wish was denied. A cigarette came out of the next box and Shaun yelled, "Can I bum a fag?"

"You're disgusting," his older brother laughed. Spencer pulled out a garter, which Penelope said was hers and earned Spencer's first genuine look of disapproval.

"Joking," she put up her hands.

"Stop joking," Derek whispered. The last boobie prize before the actual present was a permanent marker.

"I am just not getting this one," Reid shook his head.

"Since you've been such a great sport," Derek got up and approached Spencer, "You get to sign whatever you like on me," he took off his shirt.

"Mercy," Haley fanned herself. Garcia just sat there with her mouth open and Shaun was just the tiniest bit envious.

"Concentrate on the metaphorical cradle," Hotch told his wife. Reid stood there blinking rapidly for a few seconds. He just could not get over the site of Derek like this. After two more minutes of gaping he finally decided to sign Morgan's left peck 'Property of Spencer Reid'. People got up and actually applauded. Garcia took this opportunity to steal Morgan's shirt and knew nothing about it ever again.

The real present: a waterproof, glow in the dark wrist watch inspired riotous laughter. "Maybe next year you guys could have a meeting or something before you go shopping," Garcia suggested. Morgan packed all his jokes back into the big box they came out of and left with Reid and Garcia. The two had talked but Reid hadn't completely forgiven Penelope for how she went about things. Hotch left with his wife and his brother, feeling closer to them after all this ridiculousness.

"This place is a mess," Gideon pointed out to him.

"This place is _your_ mess," Hotch specified as he made his exit.

"You're no longer welcome in my lab," he threw after his old friend.

"Maybe we should go back and help him," Haley started to turn around.

"No," Hotch shook his head, "He needs the excuse to stay out of his empty house a little longer."

"We should set him up," Haley was already going through people in her mind.

"You say that like it's a suggestion," Hotch kissed her. His wife was not one easily dissuaded.

"So," Reid stood awkwardly when he and Morgan got to their room.

"No pressure," Derek shrugged.

"I want to," Reid sat down on the bed and tried to look comfortable. Morgan climbed on next to him and started kissing him. Reid fell back and pulled Derek with him. The dark chocolate man pulled Spencer's shirt apart and started kissing down his body. Spencer started writhing in pleasure, made hard by just knowing how skilled Derek was.

"I like the purple sock if you're taking votes," he pulled Spencer's pants off and made the young genius laugh, relaxing him a little more. Reid took on Derek's pants with the skill of a pro then toed them off. With them both down to their underwear Morgan flipped them over so Reid was on top. Boldly the younger man took off Morgan's underwear, dragging it slowly down his body and appreciating every delicious part of the man. Then he stood and took off his own as Morgan watched him and Derek knew Spencer was completely comfortable with what they were doing.

The lube had been set out on the bedside cabinet. Reid squeezed some onto Morgan's fingers then laid down and made a visible effort to relax. Derek climbed between his legs and started spreading him gently and first then more vigorously till Spencer started backing onto his hand.

"Do it now," the genius instructed. Morgan put on a condom and entered Reid slowly, giving him time to adjust.

"God Reid," he groaned as Spencer's tight channel gripped him tight.

"Morgan," Spencer whined as Derek started moving.

"You're so tight," Morgan almost sounded like he was in pain.

"...so big," Spencer could barely get out.

"Touch yourself for me," Derek looked to appease Spencer's neglected hard on. Reid tugged on his leaking erection, his climax fast approaching. "Hold on baby," Derek started to move a little faster, fucking in earnest. Spencer shuddered like he'd just taken bitter medicine just as Derek emptied his seed inside his body. "You're incredible," he kissed Reid's swollen lips. Reid kissed back, at a loss for words for the first time in his life. Morgan grabbed a towel and wiped Spencer's chest. Then he took off the condom and threw it in the trash. This part didn't need words. Morgan held Reid tightly to his chest. A tear slid out of his eye.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: I keep trying to write my other stories and all that comes into my head is more stuff about this one. So... which one of you lovely readers practices witchcraft? I'm not going to name names (sweetteetwo) but every time I get to that very considerate part of your review I feel the need to update instantly. I'm that girl who got reverse psychologied into putting out by the boy who said 'I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do'. **

**For all those people who did biology and anything resembling chemistry or medicine, bare with me, I am a lowly economics major. On a sad note, my charger is in the shop. It was supposed to be back two weeks ago and then last week and then by the beginning of this week and now by the end of this week and maybe when hell freezes over. I have a small window of battery time to post this chapter. Your reviews made me feel so loved I couldn't help but love you back (and answer a burning question). Hope you enjoy it.**

Derek rolled over and slung his arm across... nothing. He patted around and found nothing again so he sat up. It was five thirty in the morning, the shower was running and Reid was absent from his bed. Just as he was about to get up the shower stopped. A moment later Spencer came into the room drying himself. "Sorry if I woke you," he whispered.

"It's okay," Derek put on the light and rubbed his eyes, "Why are you up so early? Usually you hit snooze three times before you crawl out of bed and stumble into the shower."

"I have a meeting at ten thirty," Reid answered.

"You really like to prepare," Morgan looked at the clock again. Five thirty.

"Believe me when I say this is the biggest meeting of my life," Spencer towelled himself dry. He dropped fabric and started putting his lotion on. Derek watched with growing arousal. Spencer caught a glimpse of the tent and blushed. Morgan smirked and started stroking himself.

"Wanna finish for me?" he asked, unveiling his hard cock, "Might help relieve all that tension your mysterious meeting has created."

"You want to have sex with me for altruistic reasons," Reid climbed on top of the dark chocolate man with a smirk of his own.

"I want to have sex with you for whatever reason I can think of," Derek pulled him down into a deep kiss. Spencer started grinding down on the hard, thick piece of flesh between his legs, eliciting a groan. Two skilled hands made their way up Reid's torso, one to stroke his cheek, the other to tweak his nipple. A pale hand reached for the lubricant and smeared some onto his fingers. Spencer then put his finger to his hole and pushed it gently in and out. "You have to let me watch you do that some time," Morgan propped himself on and elbow and curled his other arm around Reid, inserting his finger into the tight ring of flesh alongside Reid's.

"I can still feel you in there," Reid moaned, "I..mhhh... I thought people just said that," he planted a hand between Derek's pectorals for balance and bucked onto their joined hands.

"You like that?" Morgan asked, sucking on Reid's collar bone.

"Yeah, right there," Spencer's head fell back, "I need you... inside me."

"You took to this fast," Morgan thought out loud.

"Shut up," Spencer aligned Derek's hard member with his hole and slowly pushed down. It was so torturous and good, being sheathed in tight heat, that Derek's hips pushed up into Reid without his instruction. The man on top of him whined and pushed down. "Damn," the dark haired man sat up, pulling Reid flush against his chest.

"Derek," Spencer's head fell back as he gripped Morgan's shoulders.

"Yeah baby," Morgan spurred Reid's gentle rhythm on, sucking on his collar bone, gripping his back and moving in and out of him. "Come here," he grabbed Reid's hair and pulled him into a kiss. They writhed and moaned and moved faster towards release together.

"Touch me," Spencer said desperately. Morgan wrapped a warm hand around his cock and tugged on it. They met in a heated kiss and a few strokes later Reid was spilling over Morgan's hand. Derek moved faster, shooting his load into Reid's spent body a few minutes later. They fell back together and lay in blissful afterglow.

"You're hot," Morgan said against Reid's skin, "You're hot dressed, you're hot naked, you're hot when you're shy, when you're moving on top of me and God damn, _inside_ of you..."

"Morgan," Reid blushed. Derek kissed his hair and held him in silence. "I have to get up," Reid groaned, detangling himself from the deliciously warm body, "I can't be late."

"Where is this super secret meeting?" Morgan reluctantly let him go.

"It's over in the chemistry department," Reid answered.

"Then you have three hours," Morgan darted up and pulled Reid down. A surprised giggle escaped him as he fell.

"I have to prepare," Spencer whined, "I'm sore."

"Jeez I'm sorry," Derek ran a hand over his head, "Is there something I can do?"

"I'm good. It's good. It feels like something happened, like I'm different," Spencer bit his slightly swollen bottom lip.

"Good," Morgan kissed his cheek, "I'm glad that makes you smile."

"I have to get dressed," Reid gave him a peck on the lips and skipped out of bed, quickly stopping at the bathroom then dressing. "How do I look?" he asked Derek after changing his clothes four times.

"You could use a little more eye-shadow, other than that you're very pretty," Derek earned himself a glare, "Tough crowd," he rolled out of bed.

"I believe in miracles," Reid said with sudden seriousness, "There are certain compounds we don't mix because they don't react to each other. A year ago I spilled six such chemicals on myself and to my great surprise, they formed a new one. I tested it. They don't... blend unless you have all six of them in that ratio."

"Congratulations?" Derek smiled.

"That's not... I tested it on mice, on bovi- cows and any subjects I could find," Spencer went on, "It..." he was really trying to explain this so Derek would understand it, "It makes misfiring neurons inert."

"I don't speak PhD but I think you're trying to tell me you cured mental illness," Morgan was awed.

"Well, no, not mental illness," Reid tilted his head from side to side, "It can't help with brain degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Demetia or brain tumours because then it would only mask the symptoms of the underlying cause. Hallucinations and seizures, which is what this compound treats, are usually just symptoms except with epilepsy and schizophrenia."

"You've cured epilepsy _and_ schizophrenia?" Derek's eyes widened.

"Or I'm turning sick people into vegetables. They could very well end up brain dead," Reid shuffled uncomfortably, "And FDA testing takes time. It could be years before it's approved. Also, and this is central, I need this two million dollar grant that the university is so generously giving to one person (and I'm the only candidate who only has a doctorate) so I have to nail this proposal. I'm doing it with Gideon and I could let him take the lead but it's it's it's really important, to me, that this have my name on it."

"Wow," Morgan's jaw slackened as the pieces fell into place. Two million dollar grant and any person in their right mind would give it to the genius who could rid the world of two painful, debilitating illnesses.

"Don't get too excited, so much could go wrong," Spencer was talking to Morgan and himself, "I just wanted to tell you," he bit his lip shyly, "Now I have to go, okay?"

"Okay," Derek got up and grabbed the permanent marker, "Give me your hand."

"What are you doing?" Reid opened his palm.

"Giving you advice," he put the marker to Spencer's hand and wrote the word _breathe_.

"You're really great," Reid gave Morgan a chaste kiss, "I have to run."

"Bye," Morgan put his hand to his lip.

**CMCMCMCMCMCMCMCM**

"Make words," Penelope instructed. Derek was lying face down on her bed, as he had been for the last two and a half hours, still he refused to do anything but grunt and groan. It was the morning after. He was supposed to be happy or at the very least smug. "I have called in sick, you clearly have no intention of attending your lectures so _talk."_

Morgan rolled onto his back on the purple comforter and said... nothing. "Sugar, you have to give me something," she laid down next to him.

"Spencer Reid," Derek sighed.

"Give me something I don't already have," Garcia rolled her eyes.

Morgan sat up. "Yesterday we..." he started then sighed.

"That was assumed," Garcia sat up as well. Derek got up, walked to the wall and put his head on the wall (up against a studded Hello Kitty sticker). "Okay," Penelope sighed as she pulled a bottle from a nearby shelf, "I don't usually recommend drinking in the a.m. but I think it's called for."

"Peppermint liqueur?" Derek raised an eyebrow at wine.

"Mr Quiet has something to say about girl drinks?" Garcia twisted the cap off. After a deep sigh Morgan lifted the bottle to his lips and drank and drank and drank. Over a quarter of the way through he pulled it from his lips and drew a deep breath. "Okay, out with it," Garcia commanded. Her friend stood drinking in silence for a half an hour.

"Last night... was perfect," Derek sat down, "This morning was perfect. With Reid it's... it's like none of the stuff that happened to me when I was younger is there. It's always been there, like a shadow on the bedroom wall or someone else's cologne on the pillow. If I tried hard enough I could ignore it but it's always been there. Last night it wasn't."

"Sweetie, this is a _good _thing," Penelope put her arm around his broad shoulders.

"It should be," he picked up the bottle and gulped down the mentholated liquid again.

"Stop that," Garcia put her hand over Derek's and gently pushed the bottle vertical again, "Tell me what's wrong," she rubbed his back.

"I could fall in love with him," Morgan confessed, "But I've already screwed it up."

"How could you have screwed up a perfect night and perfect morning by," she tapped her fingers counting down the hours of his presence in her apartment, "Ten a.m.?" she slapped the back of his head.

"I screwed myself out of this long before it started," Morgan couldn't look his best friend in the eye as he thought of his agreement with the white haired professor.

"How?" she asked.

"I did something," he started, "Or at the very least I agreed to do it and that's bad enough."

"Then whatever this vague thing you obviously have no intention of detailing is, just pull out," Garcia suggested.

"Do you really think I would be in this mess if I had nothing to lose by pulling out of it?" Morgan said sadly.

"What happens if you keep doing it or just pretend to?" the ever practical Madame Garcia asked.

"It's never gonna work," he shook his head, "At some point someone's gonna catch on that I'm snake oiling and I'll be at the bottom of a ten thousand dollar deep hole," he slipped a little there.

"You owe someone money," Garcia gasped, "That's how you're paying for the repairs on your house but you didn't borrow it because you're going on about something you agreed to do... specifically to Reid or this meltdown wouldn't be about your relationship with him."

"Stop guessing _please_," Morgan begged his friend. She was too close.

"Were you supposed to get close to him to steal some genius material?" Garcia asked, "I'm not judging muffin. Your family must have been in a tighter spot than you let on."

"Can we just not discuss this?" Morgan got up, almost stumbled from doing it too fast and left the room.

"Sorry hun, it's kind of a big mess we need to haul you out of. I'm gonna require a little more information," she grabbed his arm and yanked him back.

"It was more sabotage than espionage," Derek admitted looking away from Penelope, "Ten thousand, half I've already used and even if I could manage to pay it back I still need another five thousand to have the house finished. I've put every last cent I had into it already. If this goes south Desiree won't be able to go to that school with those plaid uniforms you hate so much."

"Where does your mother think the money came from?" asked Garcia.

"Donation from the force," Morgan chanced a glance in the blond's direction. Penelope just shook her head.

"You," she brushed the back of his head, "I can't stop you from taking the weight of the world on your shoulders but this might be a burden I'm be able to lift." Derek turned to look at her then. There were tears in his eyes.

"Have you got a trust fund you failed to mention?" he wiped the corner of his eye.

"I've got skills," she wiggled her fingers.

"Cyber crime," he folded his arms, "Do you have any idea how big a deal that is nowadays? No Garcia," he shook his head, "No."

"Look, I'll take ten cents from like a hundred thousand different accounts and you don't need to worry, I will cover my tracks and we can forget this desperate lapse of judgement ever happened," she assured.

"Baby girl you do _not_ have to do this. It's a huge risk," Derek warned.

"Not for me baby," she brushed his cheek.

"Thank you," Morgan put his head on her shoulder.

"Will the creep be a problem?" Penelope wrapped her hands around Morgan's back protectively.

"I don't think so," he lied. The professor had been pretty clear that there was no going back once he took the money. He just didn't know what the old man was capable of. He'd find out soon enough. Painfully too.

**Drop me a review. **


	9. Chapter 9

"You did good," Gideon patted Reid's shoulder as they walked out of the building. "You were clear, you were confident, you swapped your usual nervous tick for squeezing your hand but it seemed effective. What the-?" he was stunned as Reid ran from his side and emptied his breakfast into the bushes. Gideon pulled a dollar from his pocket and bought a coke from the vending machine. "It's not water but..." he shrugged as he opened the tin and handed it over. Reid gargled and spit.

"Fuck," he sat down and winced slightly.

"You swear now?" Gideon sat down on a decorative little boulder across from the pale young man, "Dating an athlete's been great for you." Reid put his head down, still looking a little green, and showed Gideon his palm. "Good thing to remind yourself of," the older man nodded at the word.

"Derek wrote it," Spencer sat up and took a sip.

"You told him?" Gideon's brow furrowed.

"It's not like it was a secret," Reid's voice pitched in defence.

"That's not what I meant," the Professor shook his head, "You don't share a lot about yourself."

"It's not something I find easy," Spencer admitted, "And most of the time it's not something I want to do. I, I have feelings for him and you're like a father to me so I, it wouldn't hurt if you tried to like him."

"I don't _dislike_ him," the professor offered.

"But you don't like him either," Spencer sighed.

"Well _I _don't find it easy to like people but I will make an effort. Now up and at 'em, we're not allowed to sit here," he put a hand under Reid's arm and helped him to his feet.

"He's sweet," Spencer told Gideon as they walked to the car, "Not that I have to tell you this but he's funny, he's kind, romantic, sexy and the best thing on the long list I promise not to bore you with is that he's thoughtful. And I don't mean thoughtful in the way that someone who offers you their seat on the bus thoughtful. He's thoughtful in a way that helps _me_. Who else would have thought of this?" he flashed his palm.

"Give it three days," Gideon said as he paused to open his door.

"Will you stop being so pessimistic?" Spencer slapped the top of the car with the hand he'd just been showing off, "You promised to make an effort just twenty seven seconds ago."

"About the jock," Gideon put up his index, "Your promise to keep this _very long list_ to yourself, on the other hand, does not inspire much confidence," he slipped into the car.

"Very funny, ha ha," the young doctor followed suit. Reid drank his coke all the way back to the lab. When he got there his stomach was settled. Pity, that wasn't universal.

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"You can do this," Derek was giving himself a pep talk, "You can tell him you did- no _agreed_ to a horrible thing in a _desperate_ situation and you changed your mind and you're _sorry, _you're very fucking sorry and you lo- like him and it will be okay... Oh Derek you are delusional. He's going to hate you. Your one shot at a happiness and you blew it up. You stupid fuck."

He kicked the door closed and threw himself onto his bed then he pulled out his cellphone and ordered two bacon and egg sandwiches and a large coffee. After his meal he felt mostly sober and a little sleepy so he took off his shoes and got under the covers. As he started to drift off, Reid walked in, singing 'princes of the universe', very off key. Derek rolled over and smiled. A part of him wanted to cry. Reid looked so happy. "Honey, I'm home," he giggled as he threw back the door and lay down, his top half on top of Morgan. "Hi," he kissed him.

"Hi," Derek cupped his cheek.

"You taste like a frat party," Spencer propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at his boyfriend. What a beautiful man!

"How would you know what a frat party tastes like?" Morgan stalled, enjoying the silky feel of Spencer's hair pass through his fingers for, perhaps, the last time.

"I assumed it would be alcoholic," he kissed him again. Savouring the taste of bitter peppermint and coffee and Derek.

"You look so happy," Morgan smiled, eyes hazy.

"I am happy, so happy," Reid smiled, "I never imagined happiness could be like this. I mean, I wasn't _un_happy, just... One of the committee members actually asked for my personal notes. I think this could actually happen. And I have you," his face lit up even further, "Derek?" Spencer buried his face in Morgan's neck.

"Yes?" the chocolate man leaned unconsciously into his lover.

"I love you," Spencer whispered. Morgan shot up like he'd been electrocuted. "Don't panic. I don't expect you to say it back or anything. And I don't mean to rush you or scare you away. It's, it's kinda great feeling this way," Spencer blushed, "And I just wanted you to know."

"I know," Derek pulled him closer, "I know," he leaned in and ravaged the slender boy's mouth. He was going to tell him, he was. He just couldn't do it right now. Spencer took a second to breathe as Derek pulled him onto the bed with him. Morgan flipped Spencer onto his back, kissing him up and down his neck as the young doctor panted for breath.

"I don't think I can... right now," he said apologetically with laboured breaths.

"We don't have to," Derek assured, "I just want to feel you, against me," he yanked Spencer's tie off and unbuttoned his shirt, kissing the path the buttons left as he opened them. Reid moaned as Morgan touched spots in his body he didn't even know had sensation. He thought he was too sore for sex but he was starting to want it now, really want it.

"Take off your t-shirt," Spencer moved up on the pillows to get a better view. Derek pulled the garment over his head and tossed it onto the floor. After removing Reid's socks and shoes he climbed back over him to remove his pants. Dr Reid sat back and enjoyed (some part of his mind wondering if he should be doing more). The man on top of him scrapped his nails across his skin as he slowly drew his pants down, then his boxers. The young doctor was aroused past shyness. He tossed his head from side to side as his boyfriend licked and sucked and teased him by giving no attention where he most wanted it.

"Morgan!" he whined in frustration. Derek but his lip and dropped his own pants, toeing off his socks and shoes then climbed on top. "Oh," Reid arched up at the delicious friction. Morgan nipped at Spencer's neck while he pulled out the lube and smeared their cocks. They groaned in unison as he took them both in his hand.

"Derek!" Garcia burst through the door.

"Penelope!" he removed his hand from their shafts and tried to find something to cover his and his lovers nudity. Reid gasped, his face turned impossibly redder and he ducked under Morgan's chest.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," she turned her back.

"If only there were a barrier you could strike to announce yourself," Morgan rolled onto his feet picked up his underwear. Reid covered himself with the comforter.

"You left your phone," Garcia said in a trembling voice, holding it up over her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Derek suddenly felt cold, "You didn't come all this way to give me my phone."

"A call came for you," she blinked away tears.

"Penelope," Derek growled. She knew it was a command to tell her what the hell was going on.

"There was an accident," she turned around (Reid sat up), "Desiree's in hospital... she's gonna be okay, I think. Sarah didn't say anything about ICU or extensive injuries or currently in stable condition and all the other things they say when someone's going to die." Spencer gasped and sat up. "Not that anyone is going to die but I can't exactly guarantee that. Oh just please get dressed so I can stop talking."

Spencer opened and closed his mouth as Derek dressed, not knowing exactly what to say. "I need to get dressed," he told the _girl_ in the room. Garcia turned around and Reid jumped out of bed. "Who's Desiree?" he asked tentatively.

"My sister," Derek answered, shoving his foot into his sock.

"Would you like me to come with you to the hospital or would you prefer that I stay here? Because some people like to be surrounded by... supportive people, while others would rather be alone," Spencer rambled as he stumbled around getting dressed, "Or I am quite possibly being too forward again and we're not yet at the point in our relationship where I even factor into this situation." Derek straightened up and looked at him. "Maybe I should shut up too," he tugged at his collar.

"Let's go," Morgan grabbed Spencer's hand and practically dragged him out, "You brought your car, right?"

Penelope jingled her keys as she exited. Silently they walked out to her car. It was built for style, not for comfort. They crammed into it with equal silence, Spencer in the back with Derek, their hands having never parted. Reid felt like he had an IQ of 60 in these situations. He didn't know what to say or do. Tentatively he placed his other hand over their joined ones. Derek squeezed Spencer's hand but nothing else.

When they finally got to the hospital Reid and Garcia waited outside while Derek went in to see his sister. "Either my big brother's in the room... or someone else is wearing his nasty ass cologne," Desiree croaked.

"What happened?" he spoke for the first time in what felt like hours. His voice came out rough, like he'd been crying. Maybe he had. He'd been numb enough to have missed it.

"Some old guy dropped his tools in the road and punctured my tire," she waved the incident off, "They ran all the tests and excepting a mild concussion, a broken wrist and a face that's beyond concealer there's not much wrong with me."

"An old man?" Morgan's heart rate picked up.

"A _clumsy_ old man and mom's already given him an earful so don't- Derek!" she called after him when he suddenly dashed outside. Reid and Garcia looked at each other. Spencer had never seen Derek angry before but it only took a second to recognise it.

"Where are you going?" Garcia followed his angry steps. The genius went along too, not quite sure his feet were touching the ground. When they turned the corner, Morgan walked faster. Sitting across from his mother and older sister was Professor Rothschild.

"You son of a bitch!" he dragged the old man out of his chair and slammed him into the nearest wall.

"Derek," several voices exclaimed. He couldn't make out which belonged to who. "Now I know I raised you better than that," Fran chided when they managed to pull her son off a man three times his age.

"Accidents happen," the professor smoothed his jacket, "Take a cue from your mother and I son, and thank God this wasn't worse."

"I'm not your son," Derek growled, his anger being fast consumed by fear and dread.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be insensitive," the old man lied, "It must be hard for you, especially in this situation, to think of these wonderful women without a protective figure. These feelings are perfectly natural for- I'm sorry, the professor in me can't stop looking at people scientifically."

"Honey, Desiree's gonna be okay, Professor Rothschild is paying for al the damage and medical expenses. Plus I'm sure you'll _all_ drive slowly enough swerve to avoid the elderly from now on if need be," Fran squeezed her son's shoulder. Derek barely heard a word she uttered as the severity of the situation sunk in.

Reid watched in silence. He wasn't schooled in matters of society and wound up with his foot in his mouth more often than not but, having been a child prodigy in public school in Las Vegas, _threats_ he never missed, no matter how much garnish they came under. Garcia was clued in enough to see this for what it was as well.

"Okay," Morgan walked over to the grey man with his hand extended, "Uncle," he surrendered under his breath as they shook.

"I'm glad we could sort all this out," the long haired man smiled, "I have to be getting home. My family should be worried."

"Oh yes, go," Fran nodded and curled her arm around her son, reigning him in. She still didn't trust him not to do bodily harm to someone who was responsible for his baby sister being in a hospital bed, no matter what their age. "Thank you for coming, Penelope," the fiery haired woman smiled, "And you..."

"Dr Spencer Reid," the youth filled in, "S-Spencer, you don't have to call me doctor," he finished lamely.

"Are you also a friend of Derek's?" she asked, trying to fill in the awkward void.

"Yes," Morgan answered.

"I'll bet," Sarah mumbled. Her brother cut his eyes at her. She didn't see. She was looking at the hurt look on Derek's "friend's" face.

"You should go back to school," she encouraged them, "It's important you don't miss class."

"Yeah _Student_ Derek, you shouldn't miss class," Penelope teased.

"And you?" she asked Spencer, she knew Penelope was already in the ranks of the employed.

"He said _Dr_ ma," Morgan pointed out, "He's faculty."

"He's twelve," Sarah cut in.

"I'm eighteen," Reid defended himself.

"That's nine compared to the other people who form part of the staff at a tertiary institution," big sister Morgan persisted, "What are you, some kind of genius?"

"I don't believe intelligence can be accurately quantified but I do have an IQ of a hundred and eighty five, an eidetic memory and can read twenty thousand words per minute," he dumbfounded everyone, "Yes, I'm a genius," he looked down.

"Twenty thousand words per minute?" Sarah gasped.

"Sarah!" her brother and mother reprimanded, "He's not a pair of shoes in Cosmopolitan," her brother continued.

"I resent that," she glared at her annoying kid brother, "I'm awed," she smiled at Spencer. He smiled tentatively back. "Do you wanna get some coffee?" she asked him.

"Not tonight," Derek answered for his boyfriend again, "The _student_ needs to catch class tomorrow and the _faculty_ have to ride in the same car," he looked pointedly at Garcia, "I'm gonna say bye to Dez," he told his mother, "I'm coming home this weekend and nobody can stop me."

"Fine," his mother readily agreed. Her son was being more reasonable than usual when it came to his sisters.

"Let's go wait in the car," Penelope pulled Spencer away. They walked to the car in silence. The young man was sinking deeper into despair, Garcia could see it. She wanted to explain but that was for Derek to do. After two songs Spencer had never before, Derek hoped in and told Penelope to drive. After a couple of very painful hours in what was seeming than an even smaller car than before they arrived back on campus. Garcia dropped them off and drove away.

"Should I sleep in your bed?" Spencer asked once they were inside, afraid to assume.

"What is that?" Derek took a recess from his inner turmoil to notice.

"What is what?" Reid decided to be a little more naïve than he already was.

"Pain is what," Morgan replied, "You look like you're in pain."

"I'm not in pain, I'm _faculty_," Spencer snarled.

"They don't know, though Sarah seems to have a clue but she might be joking like usual," Morgan sighed, "And I can't exactly throw my "coming out" party at my sister's bedside."

"I'm sorry," Spencer felt regret, "I didn't know and making this about me was selfish."

"You are so... pure," Morgan touched the side of his face, "I don't deserve you."

"I don't agree and even if I did I wouldn't care," Reid replied honestly, "I love you Derek Morgan. It scares the hell out of me but it makes me so happy that I don't care."

"I love you too," Morgan kissed his boyfriend and enveloped him in his arms. There was no way to give Rothschild what he wanted. He couldn't hurt Spencer that way, even if he could, Gideon could take over. If he didn't, however, his family could get hurt. There was only one way he could see out of this monumental mess: Stop Rothschild.


End file.
